Language in use

Korean for travelling

Restaurant, metro, hotel and shop: polite Korean that works anywhere on a trip.

Why this field

In Korea many signs are bilingual, but in restaurants, markets and taxis a few words of Korean make everything easier — and people are delighted when visitors try.

The polite -요 style is right with almost everyone you meet as a traveller, and a small set of phrases covers most situations.

Sentences to say aloud

The label says where a sentence belongs. The speaker next to it reads it aloud.

1. 저기요, 주문할게요.Excuse me, we’d like to order.

   neutral 저기요 calls the staff; -ㄹ게요 announces what you are about to do.

2. 이거 하나 주세요.One of these, please.

   neutral

3. 덜 맵게 해 주세요.Less spicy, please.

   neutral

4. 지하철역이 어디예요?Where is the metro station?

   neutral

5. 명동까지 얼마나 걸려요?How long does it take to Myeongdong?

   neutral

6. 카드 돼요?Can I pay by card?

   neutral Literally "does card work?" — short, normal and polite with -요.

7. 체크인하려고요.I’d like to check in.

   neutral

8. 영수증 주세요.Could I have a receipt, please?

   neutral

9. 천천히 말씀해 주시겠어요?Could you say that more slowly, please?

   polite

10. 잘 먹었습니다.Thank you for the meal.

    polite Said after eating, also to restaurant staff as you leave.

What matters here

• 저기요 is how you call staff in a restaurant or shop.
• -주세요 turns almost any word into a polite request: 물 주세요, 영수증 주세요.
• Short questions are normal and polite with -요: 카드 돼요?

Try it yourself

Read the meaning, say the sentence aloud in Korean, then open it to compare.

1. Excuse me, we’d like to order.

   저기요, 주문할게요.

2. Less spicy, please.

   덜 맵게 해 주세요.

3. How long does it take to Myeongdong?

   명동까지 얼마나 걸려요?

4. I’d like to check in.

   체크인하려고요.

More fields

Every sentence on this page was written for EveryLingua. There are no quotations from films, series, books or songs here, and no titles or names of artists — the page shows how people talk in this field, not what somebody once said.